• by Tanya Gazdik , October 7, 2020

Hyundai Motor Co. is upcycling discarded materials from the automotive manufacturing and scrapping process into clothing in collaboration with leading artists in eco-friendly design.

Six sustainably minded designers are working with Hyundai Motor to create jewelry, jumpsuits, work vests, bags and various other clothing in an effort called Re:Style 2020. Sales of the fashion items begin on Oct. 13 at London’s Selfridges pop-up store and Selfridges' online store.

The brands are Alighieri, E.L.V. DENIM, Public School, pushBUTTON, Richard Quinn and Rosie Assoulin.

Hyundai Motor will unveil the collection digitally on its social media channels, as well as those of Selfridges and the participating brands, from Oct. 8.

The event also aligns with Project Earth, a symbolically sustainable campaign operated by Selfridges, a UK-based chain of high-end department stores and an online retailer. 

The sales will raise funds for the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion, which brings together expertise from different areas to help brands kick-start comprehensive change.

Although materials such as iron are recycled as part of the vehicle scrapping process, materials such as leather, glass and airbags end up in landfills. 

The automaker conducted a similar event in 2019 in partnership with Zero + Maria Cornejo.

“By demonstrating that discarded resources can be reimagined into valuable products, Hyundai Motor encourages more industries to see waste as a recreative opportunity and to work collaboratively toward an environmentally accountable and economically efficient future,” Wonhong Cho, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor Company, says in a release.